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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) NOVEMBER 2008
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Replies, inquires and feedback to
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Are you seriously interested in reducing your
changeover downtime? If you are, you need a
program and there is no better way to kickstart a
changeover improvement program than my
"Changeover made ESEE" workshop. This workshop is
2 days of useful information, ideas that have
worked and how to apply them in your plant.

To schedule a session in your plant or for more
information call (787-550-9650) or e-mail
(john@...) John Henry today.


SOME THOUGHTS ON…
WIIFM?

An issue with any changeover program is
motivation. How do you get the troops fired up?
Everybody knows what is in it for the company:
more money! What is in it for the people who will
do the actual grunt work of implementation.

One might argue that since they are getting paid,
they should do what they are told to do. There is
certainly truth to that and, if you tell them to
implement a changeover program, they will
probably do it. They may be somewhat grudging.
After all, they are being asked to do something
new. The mere need to change from the old and
accustomed ways makes some people uncomfortable.

What is needed is not grudging obedience to
orders but enthusiastic buy-in and participation.
These people on the line are the true experts on
how the line works and how to improve it. No
company can afford to ignore this knowledge.

One secret is to look at them and imagine,
tattooed on their foreheads the letters WIIFM.
This stands for "What's in it for me?". They need
to see the benefits to them, personally, rather than just to the company.

There are 4 main answers to the WIIFM question:

1) The most stressful part of their job is
going to be dealing with a machine that does not
run smoothly. One of the reasons machines do not
run smoothly is because they have been improperly
cleaned, set up and/or maintained. Improving
changeover by eliminating, simplifying,
externalizing, and setting exactly (the ESEE
method) will result in smoother running
machinery. Reducing the time spent on changeover
will free up more time for preventive/predictive
maintenance. It will also free up time for more
permanent repairs. Too many times I see
"temporary" repair made to a machine to get the
production run finished. A year later, the same
temporary repair still in place.
2) Routine, repetitive work is boring.
Involving the floor personnel in developing and
implementing changeover improvements gives them a
change from the routine. It allows them to use
the creativity which we all have within us.
Allowing them to use their creativity will
demonstrate their value to the company as well as
provide the sense of challenge and accomplishment we all need.
3) As they demonstrate their value to the
company by learning new things and developing new
methods, it is possible that this value will be
recognized by promotion or increased pay.
4) It is only through profits that a company
is able to pay employees. A company that does not
make profits will not be able to provide the
stability and job security that everyone wants.
Nor will it be able to provide improved pay and benefits.

Caveat: I certainly have no problem mentioning
3&4 to the floor employees. However, care must be
taken in how these are expressed. Be very careful
not to make what might be construed as a promise
of job security or improved pay.

Mechanics and technicians will often feel that
lean changeover will put them out of a job. That
is certainly the goal!. Not to put them out of
the company, of course. Lean changeover will free
them from much of the drudgery of routine work
and allow them to focus their talents in more
valuable ways. These include correct repairs to
machines rather than "temporary" quick fixes,
time to get to the root cause of problems and fix
them rather than just treating the symptoms. Less
time spent on changeover means more time
available to develop and implement other
improvements. It also gives them time to learn
new skills and technologies. All of these make
them more, not less valuable to the company.

One final thought in closing: People will often
worry that lean changeover is just a scheme to
reduce headcount. This may be true but it is
important that the reduced headcount come via
natural attrition ie; not replacing someone when
they leave, rather than layoffs. It is critical
that people not get the sense that they are working themselves out of a job.

A lean changeover program will succeed or fail in
large part by the amount of buy in by the people
being asked to implement it. It is not enough for
them to know what is in it for the company,
important as that knowledge is. They must be shown what is in it for them.

TIP OF THE MONTH…
SWIFFER

I am a big believer in taking any useful
technology wherever I find it. Everybody here has
probably seen Proctor & Gamble's Swiffer line of
cleaning products on the TV. These are basically
dust mops. Instead of the typical dust mop which
has a head that is difficult to clean, these have
a plastic head to which is mounted a disposable
paper duster. A big advantage to this,
particularly in a pharmaceutical plant is that it
eliminate the possibility of cross contamination
that may occur when a dust mop used to clean
after one product is also used after a different one.

They are very light weight with extendable
aluminum handles. This makes them useful for
cleaning walls, ceilings, windows and other
surfaces as well. They can be used wet or dry and
some models even come with fittings to attach spray cans of cleaner.

You can find out more at www.swiffer.com

If anyone from P&G is reading this, I do have one
objection and that is the size. The mop heads
seem to be available in a maximum 18" wide. While
this may be fine for residential use, a wider
(30-42") head would be more useful in industrial
environments. This would allow fewer passes to be
made to clean a given area. Swiffer is a great
product and works well. It just needs this one
tweak to make it a powerful industrial tool.

On the other hand, if there is a wide Swiffer
available, could someone let me know? I've looked and can't find it.




Best,

John R Henry CPP

www.changeover.com
787-550-9650

"All progress is made by a lazy person looking
for an easier way." - Lazarus Long